Bearded dragon to be special guest at SF Zoo

The San Francisco Zoo is hosting a Year of the Dragon celebration for the Chinese New Year on Sunday, and a guest of honor will be Tully, the zoo's own resident dragon.

Tully is a 4-year-old bearded dragon, a thorny reptile native to the arid environments of southeastern and central Australia. Tully has been a resident of the zoo since February 2010 and serves as an ambassador for zoo education programs, zoo officials said.

Families are invited to see Tully on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. for the Year of the Dragon Celebration. The zoo will also feature acrobatic performances, folk dancing and Chinese yo-yo tricks.

There will also be a Zodiac tour through the zoo, leading guests to all the animals found on the Chinese calendar.

The celebration is free with paid admission to the zoo, and anyone born during the Year of the Dragon will receive free zoo admission on Sunday.

Previous Years of the Dragon were 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 and 2000.